Montreal In Winter – LIFE AS A HUMAN

Everyone knows what a great destination Montreal is in spring, summer and fall. But alas, in winter, the best that the “grande dame” of French-speaking cities in North America is accorded is a token overnight by visitors to take in a Canadiens game before they skip town for a ski holiday in the Laurentians.

Not to deny that top notch hockey isn’t worth seeing at any time of the year, but I was determined to set the record straight that this “grande dame” had many other things to offer in winter than just the “Habs”.

For this reason, on a frosty weekend in January, 2013, I made plans to fly from Atlantic Canada and spend three days lapping up some of Montreal’s famous history, charm, arts and culinary delights. I set out to prove that anyone can have a fabulous time any time of the year, in what at one time was the second largest French speaking city in the world.

Hotel de Ville, Old Montreal

Unlike in many major cities, Montreal’s Pierre Trudeau Airport is close to the city and in less than twenty minutes I was ensconced at the Hotel Gault, a boutique establishment in Old Montreal, the historic heart of the city. Featuring luxuries such as in-floor heating, the hotel is a converted Victorian era commercial building, dating from 1871, integrating cast iron Corinthian columns and evoking a funky steam-punk ambiance with all modern amenities.

Hotel Gault

The Gault is centrally located and a walk or a short cab ride to many of Montreal’s major attractions. If you’ve not been to Montreal before, a guided tour is just the thing to get you orientated. My guide, Lise met me at the Gault, and then drove me around the city with frequent stops, pointing out sights such as the cathedral, Marie, Reine du Monde, an incredibly detailed scale replica of St. Peter’s at the Vatican. As well, a drive up Mount Royal, the Central Park of Montreal, is de rigueur. Chalet Mont-Royal is located on the top of Mount Royal, giving panoramic views of the city and the St. Lawrence, its raging torrents now locked in ice. My tour was topped off by a visit to St. Joseph’s Oratory, a shrine to Canada’s first male saint, Brother Andre, who rose from being a humble doorman to a holy healer whose cures baffled the medical minds of Montreal for years.

Chalet Mont-Royal

The Montreal Fine Arts Museum offers an impressive collection of Impressionist art and the Place des Arts has come up with a production of Johann Strauss’s “Die Fliedermaus” (la Chauve Souris) for everyone’s enjoyment. This production, which I attended, features 1920’s Montreal as its setting rather than Vienna of the 1880’s, but it was equally amusing…and equally naughty. Showing now, PERU Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon, will run until June 16.

Cast of Johann Strauss’s opera “La Chauve Souris” (die Fliedermaus)

Of course, winter-wise Montrealers know you don’t have to brave the cold to enjoy movies, restaurants and boutique shopping. All you need to do is venture into the vaunted “Underground City” which has all of these things, free of the elements. If you live in the right condo you may be able to work, shop, dine and seek entertainment without ever going out of doors during Montreal’s cold season.

Shopping for Inuit art in Old Montreal.

But that would mean you would miss the opportunity to go ice-fishing on the St. Lawrence. “Peche Vieux Montreal”, located at the Clock Tower Pier in Old Montreal, offers heated cabins where you can dip a line or two, catch walleye, perch and turbot and they provide all the gear. In case you are dubious about eating fish caught right off the shores of the city, an analysis of the fish caught here showed fewer contaminants than that sold at most supermarkets. The constant flow of the mighty St. Lawrence keeps waters pristine, even the waters adjacent to the city.

My guide, Mark, setting up ice fishing gear on the St. Lawrence River.

After an afternoon of ice fishing, I was ready to sample local cuisine and spirits. A visit to the “Soeurs Grises Brasserie” provided an assortment of micro-brewed ales and beers and a hearty bison stew to warm my bones. Try the sampler of their delicious offerings.

If you want to try your hand gaming at a casino, look no further than the “Casino de Montreal”. Offering a wide variety of gaming including slots, Blackjack, Poker and many other games of chance, you may be one of the lucky ones who emerges with a pocket full of cash.

Casino de Montreal

The next morning I walked over to the nearby Pointe-a-Callieres museum. Lying in its basement are excavations that take you back to the foundation of Montreal in the early 1600’s. Penetrating down layer by layer, visitors reach the almost four hundred year old ruins of Montreal’s very first European settlement and can even see the bed of the long disappeared St. Peter’s River. Afterwards view the incredible collection of Samurai armour and artifacts collected by Quebec biochemist, Dr. Belliveau.

An over three hundred year old cemetery beneath the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum; the original birth place of Montreal.

For those more nature orientated, you can spend time in a tropical rain forest at the Biodome. This structure, part of the 1976 Olympic Stadium complex, features many animals and replicated eco-systems ranging from a tropical rain forest with monkeys and parrots, to a Laurentian forest where you can get up close and personal with the Canadian beaver. A Laurentian sea shore habitat and an Arctic / Antarctic section allows adults and children alike to get a close look at Gentoo, Macaroni, King and Adelie penguins.

In the rain forest of the Biodome…January in Montreal!

Fine dining is ubiquitous in Montreal. However, Old Montreal tends to shut down its restaurants and bars by 11 pm in the winter. Either dine early or make your plans at a downtown restaurant.

Old Montreal at night

Next time you are in the mood for a winter get-away, remember that Montreal, a short flight away for many Canadians, is waiting to welcome you…spring, summer, fall AND winter.

If You Go:

Tourism Montreal
Tourism Quebec – Quebec Original
Pointe-a-Calliere Museum
La Chauve Souris (and other shows)
St. Joseph Oratory
Biodome

Photo Credits

Casino de Montreal – Wikipedia Creative Commons

Chalet Mont-Royal – Wikipedia Creative Commons